Omnivore - Moe's and Chipotle: asleep and awake

• Cliff Bostock's iPhone
• Moe's. Yawn.

I hit two cheap burrito joints last week at the insistence of friends. First was Moe's Southwest Grill in Ansley Mall. I was intrigued by a sign on the window making much of its grass-fed beef. I ended up including it in my burrito, along with rice, pico de gallo, and some pinto beans.

This was only my second visit to a Moe's and my experience was no better than the last. The beef was totally dependent on the typical faux-Mexican/Southwestern seasoning for flavor. I do give them props for a fun salsa bar that includes a decent green sauce and a fiery habanero one.

Moe's is all about sustainability and healthy alternatives, according to its website. Now, if they would make the taste sustainably good, it would improve things a lot. By the way, my friends talked about what a cheap lunch Moe's is. Sorry, but I've had lots of better lunches for less than $10.

• Cliff Bostock's iPhone
• Chipotle. Wakes you up.

And speaking of sustainability, I also picked up a burrito at Chipotle Mexican Grill on Ponce de Leon. This fast-food restaurant was founded by Steve Ellis, a former chef who insists upon sustainably raised pork, beef, and vegetables.

The effort really does pay off — try the carnitas — with food whose flavors are way ahead of Moe's and most other burrito joints in town. Then again, neither restaurant comes close to Bell Street Burritos inside the Sweet Auburn Curb Market and on the Westside. And, weirdly, Bell Street is for the most part cheaper than the two chain restaurants.